Glenn Willard Bassett

Glenn was a singer (tenor), choir director and voice teacher in Santa Ana, California until his death in 1973. He was also President of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music for nearly two decades until it was merged into Cal Arts by the Disney organization.

Discovery of a Newberg, OR., boy with a voice of wider range than any other voice in the world, with the single exception of ?Bobbie? Murray, the Tacoma phenomenon, was announced today by Dr. H.E.K. Whitney, director of the Whitney Boy chorus.
Glenn Willard Bassett, 13 years old, son of Mrs. Olive D. Bassett of Newberg, is the professor?s ?find?. He is able to reach D and even B flat above high C. ?Bobbie? Murray, when discovered by the music scouts, was able to reach E above high C, so there is practically no difference between the two.
Willard, who goes generally by the name of Billy, was practically without training until nine months ago, when he joined the Whitney Boy chorus in Newberg. Even then he was just ?one of the boys.?

NOTE FIN QUALITY

Professor Whitney did not hear him in solo work until a few weeks ago. Then one night three Newberg boys sang, each a verse of a song, with the entire chorus joining at the end. The perfect quality of Willard?s voice was noticed at this time.
And one day Billy said to the professor: ?Why, I can sing as high as ?Bobbie? Murray.?
Last Saturday at Newburg he was given a trial. His voice rose to unbelievable heights. Professor Whitney, astonished, brought Willard to Portland with him and gave him a hearing at Ellers Music house, Sunday. It was then he attained the E flat above high C.
Now the problem is to give Billy the proper training, and Professor Whitney is seeking a godfather or godmother for him. Enough time has been wasted, he pointed out today, and it will soon be time for the boy?s voice to begin to change. Billy is quite excited at learning of his own possibilities.

HE IS AMBITIOUS

?You bet I want to work,? he said.
He is the seventh in a family of nine children, seven girls and two boys. His father, who was an Oregon lumberman, is dead. He will be in the eighth grade in school this fall.
?our mother has taken some training at Eugene and Corvallis, and is quite an accomplished vocalist,? said Miss Florence Bassett, Willard?s sister, of Portland, who is chaperoning him during these exciting days. ?All of us able to carry a tune, but there have been no unusual singers or musicians in the family.?